Their merit lies in the fact that they have distinct flavors and thus whet the appetite. Another reason why green vegetables are thoroughly enjoyed is because they come fresh in the spring, when the appetite is a little surfeited with the winter foods and one looks for green things. TABLE II—GREEN VEGETABLES ————————————————+———————+——————+—————+————————+———————+—————+———————— | |Nitro-| | | |Cell-| Fuel | Water |genous| Fat | Carbo- |Mineral|ulose| Value Food Materials | per |Matter| per |hydrates| Matter| per | per | cent | per | cent| per | per | cent| pound | | cent | | cent | cent | |Calories ————————————————+———————+——————+—————+————————+———————+—————+———————— Cabbage | 89.6 | 1.80| 0.4 | 5.8 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 165 Spinach | 90.6 | 2.50| 0.5 | 3.8 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 120 Vegetable Marrow| 94.8 | 0.06| 0.2 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 120 Tomatoes | 91.9 | 1.30| 0.2 | 5.0 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 105 Lettuce | 94.1 | 1.40| 0.4 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 105 Celery | 93.4 | 1.40| 0.1 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 85 Rhubarb | 94.6 | 0.70| 0.7 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 105 Water Cress | 93.1 | 0.70| 0.5 | 8.7 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 110 Cucumbers | 95.9 | 0.80| 0.1 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 10 Asparagus | 91.7 | 2.20| 0.2 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 110 Brussels Sprouts| 93.7 | 1.50| 0.1 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 95 Beans (string) | 8.92 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 7.4 | 0.8 | 7.0 | 195 Beans (dried) | 12.6 | 22.5 | 1.8 | 59.6 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 1605 Peas (green, | | | | | | | shelled) | 74.6 | 7.0 | 0.5 | 16.9 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 465 ————————————————+———————+——————+—————+————————+———————+—————+———————— All fresh vegetables should be masticated to almost a fluid consistency; otherwise, they are difficult of digestion, containing, as they do, so much pulp. They are diuretic, helping the kidneys and the skin to rid the system of waste, and they are more laxative to the intestines than the root vegetables, partly because of the salts which they contain and partly because of the undigested vegetable fibre, which helps to move along the waste in the intestines. This vegetable fibre, being coarse, assists in cleansing the mucous lining of stomach and intestines, and, if for no other reason than for this cleansing of kidneys and intestines in the spring, when the system is most sluggish, the use of green vegetables is to be commended.